White and Black Striped Pocket Tee & PhD Life Update

Happy Saturday,

This white and black striped tee from Amazon comes in a bunch of colors and is $17. I am 5 “4 and wearing a size small. It is snug in the bust (I am currently 38 DD) and shoulders, so I probably should have sized up.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my Amazon fashion basics back in rotation, because I have more to come. ?? Wonder why I’m always posting items from Amazon? I find that my Amazon clothing holds up very well, is affordable, convenient, versatile and stylish. From a business perspective, it also sells well* and people seem to enjoy it! *I receive a small commission if you use any of my links to make a purchase.

PhD Program Update

It is the end of Week 6 in the second term of my first year as a PhD student. Being a student and GE (Graduate Employee) takes up the majority of my time by far, so I want to keep you informed about how it’s going. I don’t ever want to give the impression that PhD life is not all-consuming!

Each term is ten weeks, so these days, I approach and organize my life into weekly increments.

Time is passing quickly, and as expected, the program is intense and rigorous. It is both mentally exhilarating and exhausting. Yet, I continue to feel beyond blessed to have the opportunity to embark on what I believe is my life calling (in a fully-funded program at a major university!). I am grateful to have a system of support that includes my family and community in the English department.

What I’ve enjoyed the most so far:

Without a doubt, the best part about being a PhD student is that my course of study is entirely up to me! At this point in my academic journey, I have completed all of the required courses (with the exception of the foreign language requirement). So, everything I take is my choice and geared towards my personal scholarly goals.

If you are a geek about anything, imagine being able to take two years of classes in what you are most passionate about. It’s nerd heaven!

My research interests include*:

(Primary) –> 20th Century (Post WWII) African-American Literature

(Secondary) –> Afrofuturism, Medical Humanities, Critical Race Theory, and Memoir/Autobiography.

*If you want to know more about any of these terms, do a quick google search.

What I’ve found most difficult:

Balancing my business as a social media influencer (and meeting brand deadlines) with my academic and employee workload at UO (and more deadlines) has been challenging. That’s putting it very mildly. I’ve made progress and improvements this term. My goal is to feel confident about my ability to successfully and efficiently manage both without tremendous stress. I am approaching it as an ongoing process of making changes and improvements to my organizational strategies, time-management and coping mechanisms.

I am deeply invested in both my business and scholarly pursuits. If I can help it, I don’t want to have to choose between one or the other. Not to mention trying to find time to do leisure activities and family time! That conversation is for another day.

~

French is the second most challenging aspect of my life as a PhD student at the University of Oregon, but I don’t have the energy or desire to talk more about that right now. For now, let’s just say I’m surviving it lol. C’est comme ça!

I have many many things that need to get done today and tomorrow, so I am going to get to it. I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day Weekend!